After a well-toiled 118-run partnership between Rahane and Pujara, earlier this morning, team India could add just 61 more runs to the board. Eventually, team India got bowled out for just 274. Josh Hazlewood bowled brilliantly today with his 6 for 67 stopping the flow of runs from the Indian side.
Ravichandran Ashwin picked six wickets as India bowled Australia out for 112 runs to seal a 75-run win.
Pujara 92 (221b, 4s x 7) was particularly impressive throughout his innings. He left the deliveries that moved outside the off-stump and found gaps wherever possible. Unfortunately, he couldn’t play a longer innings and added just 13 more runs to his individual score. He was caught by Mitchell Marsh off Hazlewood’s good length delivery. Rahane (52) too got out LBW off Starc when he looked set for a big knock.
But fourth day of the test had much more to offer. Indian lower order batsmen looked completely clueless in front of the Aussie bowling, but India’s score of 274 runs proved costly for the Aussies. Initially, it seemed quite achievable when they were playing at 42 for 1, but with the dismissal of out-of-form David Warner, Australian middle order couldn’t stand in front of the Indian bowlers.
The visitors had to chase down 188 runs as a target in the fourth innings but their lacklustre batting, and sublime bowling by Ashwin saw the entire Aussie team collapse like a pack of cards. The match had its share of tensed moments as well because India’s reputation was at stake while Aussies had golden chance to take an unassailable lead.
Ashwin was on top of his form today. He was getting good turns and his flighted deliveries kept troubling the Aussies. The Kangaroo couldn’t hold it any longer and collapsed with just 112 runs on board giving a spectacular 75-run victory to Indians. Ashwin’s caught and bowled dismissal of Lyon in the 36th over finally sealed the fate of the Aussies.
Interestingly, Ashwin’s 6 for 41 made this test a historical one in a sense that for the first time ever four different bowlers; Hazlewood, Ashwin, Lyon and Ravindra Jadeja got six-wicket hauls in a single test match.
Earlier, Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc bowled magnificently today to restrict India from scoring more runs. India lost their last five wickets at a gap of just 19 deliveries and adding only 16 runs to the board. India started off well with the ball in the second innings dismissing Renshaw caught behind for 5 off Ishant Sharma.
Next to go was David Warner for 17 off 25 balls before Ashwin struck him LBW. The Aussie batsman Shaun Marsh also got out when a good-length ball from Umesh Yadav straightaway hit his leg. Then the Aussies soon lost control over the match as their batsmen got dismissed one by one. Ultimately, the Aussies were bowled out for just 112. No Aussie could even get past 30-run score.
Brief Scorecard:
Australia: 276/10 & 112/10 (Smith 28; Ashwin 6 for 63)
India: 189 & 274 for 10 (Pujara 92, Hazlewood 6 for 67)
Tags: 2nd Test, Australia, Bangalore, Bengaluru, India, M Chinnaswamy Stadium, R Ashwin, Ravichandran Ashwin, Test Match
